Federer in quarterfinals after Fish withdraws

September 03, 2012|Sports Network

Mardy Fish of the U.S. celebrates defeating Gilles Simon of France during their match at the US Open last Saturday. (Reuters Photo)

FLUSHING MEADOWS, N.Y. -- Five-time champion Roger Federer received a walkover into the quarterfinals at the U.S. Open when his scheduled Monday opponent, 23rd-seeded Mardy Fish, pulled out of the draw.

Fish cited health concerns for his withdrawal.

The 30-year-old Fish missed three months of action earlier this season due to fatigue issues that led him to a medical procedure to correct a heart problem. He needed a cardiac catheter ablation to deal with misfiring electrical pulses in his heart.

The 31-year-old world No. 1 Federer won here five straight years from 2004-08 and was the U.S. Open runnerup in 2009. He will meet the Tomas Berdych-Nicolas Almagro winner on Wednesday.